Sewer-cleaner.



H. SIEBEN.

SEWER CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED 0013.17, 191s. BENEWBD JAN.14, 1915.

Patented Mar. 23, 1915.A

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WITAISSIA H. SIEBEN.

SEWER CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.17,1913. RENBWIID JAN. 14. 1915.

Patented Mar. 23, 1915.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 2 W/INN UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY SIEBEN, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FIFTH T0 L. E. WYNE,

` OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

SEWER-CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 23, 1915.

Application led October 17, 1913, Serial No. 795,809. Renewed January 14, 1915. Serial No. 2,276.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY STEBEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sewer-Cleaners, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in sewer cleaners. and my object is to provide a simple and eicient device of this character whereby sewers clogged with foreign matter can be readily cleansed thereof.

The cleanen is self-adjustable, so that it may readily accommodate itself to any in- @qualities existing in the interior of a sewer in which it. is operated. The device is also manually adjustable. so that it may accommodate sewers of different diameters.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is la broken vertical section of a sewer. the cleaner therein, a hose connection to said cleaner, and means for drawing the cleaner through the sewer in two directions. Fig. 2 is a broken section of a shaft and a draft rod connected to said shaft for the purpose of drawing the cleaner through a sewer. Fig. 3 is a broken vertical section on line III-III of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a broken longitudinal section of the cleaner in position in a section of sewer. Fig. 5 is a cross section on line V--V of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a cross section on line VI--VI of Fig. 4.

A designates a sewer, and B designates two manholes leading into said sewer.

In carrying out the invention. I employ a tubular body 1, provided at its rear end with a nipple 2, having a hose coupling 3 to which one end of a hose 4 is coupled. The forward portion of body 1 is provided with a nozzle member 5, having a plurality of forwardly tapering discharge holes 6 and rigidly-secured to the tubular body 1 by pins 7, or other suitable means.

8 designates a plurality of horizontal bars provided near their ends with rollers 9 to traverse the interior of the sewer A.

The horizontal bars 8 are pivotallymounted upon a plurality of links 10, 11 and 12, which in turn are pivotally-secured to rings 13, 14 and 15, respectively. embracing the tubular body 1. Links 13 and 15 are rigidly secured to the tubular body 1 and ring 14 is slidable upon said tubular body 1 to allow movement of the links, so that rollers 9 may accommodate themselves to any inequalities existing within the interior of the sewer. Rollers 9 are yieldingly held in contact with the interior of the sewer through the intermediacy of an expansion spring 16, embracing the tubular body 1 and bearing at its ends against the ring 14 and a collar 17, which latter is ad- Justably-secured upon the tubular body 1 by a set-screw 18, so that said collar may be ad- ]usted to regulate the pressure of the spring 16 upon the ring 14.

19 designates a shaft journaled in the nozz le member 5 and a spider 20, which latter l1l e said nozzle member 5 is rigidly fixed w1thin the tubular body 1. Shaft 19 is provided at its rear end with a thrust bearing 21 to prevent it from moving forwardly in its bearings 5 and 20.

22 designates a turbine rigidly mounted upon shaft 19 immediately in advance of the nozzle member 5, so that the water discharged therefrom will impinge against the blades of the turbine with considerable force and rotate the same at suitable speed.

23 designates a plurality of toggles, each pair of which carries a blade 24 and is pivoted at its ends to members 25 and 26 mounted upon shaft 19 in advance of the turbine 22.

The toggles 23 are automatically expanded by an expansion spring 27, embracing shaft 19 and interposed between the turbine 22 and member 26, which latter is slidable on shaft 19 to permit the blades 24 to yield when contacting obstructions, such for instance as cement, too firmly secured to the inner surface of the sewer for dislodgment by said blades. The toggles 23 are manuallv expanded or contracted to t sewers of different diameters by sliding the member 25 forward or backward on the shaft 19 and then securing said member at any point of its adjustment by means of a set-screw 28 adapted to enter any of the threaded holes 29 in the forward portion of the shaft 19. The pressure of spring 27 upon member 26 is regulated by a split collar 30, adjustably secured to shaft 19 and provided with a rearwardly extending driving arm 31 engaging the member 26 to cause it to rotate with the shaft 19.

32 designates a flexible draft-rod for drawing the cleaner through a sewer. Said draft-rod 32 is provided at its forward end with a ball 34, which latter is swiveled in a socket formed in the forward end of shaft 19 and the rear end of a cap 35 screwed into a fitting 36, fixed to the forward end of the shaft 19 by a pin 37, or other suitable means. Capv35 is-provided at its front side with a bushing 38, having a forwardly-flaring opening 39 to allow movement of the draft-rod 3.2, which extends through said opening and an opening in the cap 35.

Dirt and other foreign matterA is prevented from getting between the ball 34 and itssocket by a washer 40 snugly embracing the draft-rod 32 and loosely interposed-between the cap 35 and the rear end of the bushing 38, so that said washen may move with the draft-rod.

Anyl suitable means may be employed for forcing or drawing the cleaner through a sewer. In the drawings, I have shown means for pulling the cleaner through the sewer in two directions, consisting of windlasses 4l and 42 and cables 43 and 44, cable 43. being attached at its ends to windlass 41 and'loop 3.3, and cable 44 being attached at its-ends to windlass 42 and a coupling 45 on 4. The windlasses 4l and 42 are mounted over the manholes B upon frames 4,6V and 47 respectively. Cable 43 runs around guide sheaves 4T and 48, the former being mounted upon an adjustable jack 49 engaging the interior of the sewer, and-the latter bein mounted upon a standard 50 secured at i s upper end to the frame 46 and provided'V near its lower end with legs 51 which bear against the interior of the manhole B. Cable 44 runs arounda guidev gleave'52mounted upon an adjustable jack 5 engaging the inner side. of the sewer and braced, by., a standard 54. The upper end of the hose 4 is connected'to a hydrant not SlQWIl V'Iheoperationof the cleaner briefly is as follows: After the cleaner has been placed inposition in the sewer, water is admitted to thehose 4 and one of the windlasses 41 is operated Ito draw the cleaner from one manhole to the other. The water from `the hose 50 passes, into the tubular bodyl, and inpassing through,` the nozzle membery 6 is discharged with considerable force against the turbine 22 which is thus rotated and in turn rotates `the shaft 19, the toggles 23, and the blades 24. The revolving blades 24 loosen and 'dislodgejvrefuseand tear awa`y any vegetation -that may be rooted in the sewer, the watery discharged from the turbine contributing to the.y effectiveness of the operation. After the cleaner has been drawn to one manhole, thelwindlass at theopposite manhole is operated to return the cleaner to the Starting point. The hose and the ropesmay then beA disconnected from the apparatus and moved to an adjacent portion of the sewer.

While the device is primarily designed for cleaning sewers, it maybe used to advan tage `for cleaning the interior of water mains yand other conduits, and for this purpose I provideI the toggles 23 with chains or cables 55, armed with serrated balls or disks 56 to coact with said toggles and the blades24 in removing deposits ofy foreign matter.

While I have shown and describedv` the preferred form of my cleaner, it is obvious that changes may be made in the combination, arrangement and construction of parts as properly fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and'desire to secure by Letters Patent 1s:

1. In a sewer cleaner, a driven shaft, and a toggle driven by said shaft and having forwardly converging cutting edges.

2. In a sewer cleaner, a driven shaft, a. member manually adjustable upon said shaft, means for securing said member at any point of its. adjustment, a companion member slidable upon the shaft. a collar fixed to the shaft tolimit.the sliding movement of said companion member and to drive the same, yielding means to normally press the slidable member toward .said collar,

and sewer cleaning elements operablysecuredA to the adjustable member and the companion member.

3. In a sewer cleaner, a driven shaft, a member manually adjustable upon said shaft, means for securing saidl member at any point of its adjustment, a companion member slidable upon the shaft, means fixed tosaid .shaft to limit the sliding movement of said companionY member and to drive the same, resilient means to normally hold the companion member in contact with said means. toggles operably-secured to the ad? justable member and the companion mem ber, and cutting elements on said toggles.

4. A sewer cleaner` consisting of a tubular body, means for guiding said body through a sewer, arms pivotally-connecting said guiding means to the tubular body, a ring slidable on the tubular body, arms pivotallyconnected to said ring and the guiding means, resilient means to force-said ring toward the arms pivoted'thereto, and sewer cleaning elements operably-connectedto the tubular body.

5. A sewer cleaner, consisting of'a'tilbu'- lar body, a drivenshaft journaledv therein, sewer cleaning elements driven by said shaft, longitudinal bars adjacent the tubular body, armspivotally-connected to said longitudinal ybars and the tubular body, a ring slidableI on the tubular body, arms pivotallyconnected to said ringl and the guiding means, and resilient means to force said ring longitudinally upon the tubular body.

6. In a sewer cleaner, a driven shaft, eb-

las

struction 'removing means mounted upon said shaft, and cables attached to said 0bstruction removing means and ada ted to be thrown by centrifugal force agalnst the interior of a sewer.

7. In a sewer cleaner, a driven shaft, obstruction removing means mounted vupon said shaft, cables attached to said obstruction removing means, and weights at the free ends of said cables adapted to be thrown by centrifugal force` against the-interior of a sewer.

8. In a sewer cleaner, a driven. shaft, a. toggle driven by said shaft and having' forwardly-.converging cutting edges, and man- 15 HENRY SIEBEN.

Witnesses F .g G. FISCHER, FRED. C. xscmsn. 

